The Clone
by WildVegeta
Summary: The boy took a deep breath and winced, putting more pressure on his torso. "Before leaving for Namek, Lord Frieza already knew that he'd probably have to kill you. But he didn't want to lose you… so he began to clone you. He'd still have you… not being you. He would've raised me the way he saw fit... from my birth." AU. A spacepod lands on Earth. Vegeta is not happy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

(A/N) Hello there! This story is an AU fic, taking place mainly on Earth, after the fight with Majin Buu. Everyone is calm, Goku is still on Earth and things are in line... until my little character comes along.

I'm sorry, I'm not sure about DBZ's timeline exactly but I'm trying to stick to it a little bit.

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

* * *

Change was something Vegeta didn't really like. He didn't like his surroundings being disrupted by anything. He didn't like to meet new people or experience new things. He didn't like to be in strange places or eat strange food and he absolutely despised when his routine got interrupted by something. It was mainly because he liked his life on Earth, and wouldn't change it for the world. The first time his life had changed, he had ended up being a lizard's slave.

So when he felt an extremely strange, but oddly familiar ki approaching Earth at an amazing speed, he got angry.

Angry because he had been working out and he despised being interrupted when he was working out. Angry because somebody was invading _his _planet. And angry because that speed could only belong to one thing: A spacepod. And spacepods approaching Earth could not be good. He sighed and debated whether to call Kakkarot or to go and investigate alone.

The fact that it was a spacepod – probably – meant that the person travelling in it had worked for Planet Trade Organization: Either for King Cold, Frieza or Cooler. That meant that he knew who the prince of Saiyans was, because Prince Vegeta was as famous around the Universe as Lord Frieza himself. It figured that only an underdeveloped planet like Earth, with no interspace communication, didn't know who he was. That, in time, meant that the person travelling in it probably knew him, and anybody who had known him before living on Earth and after living on Planet Vegeta, hated him. Because he was cold, cruel, ruthless and just too much of a bastard. So the person was probably looking for vengeance.

And that led Vegeta to a conclusion: he didn't want anybody to know who was approaching. They would feel its ki, but wouldn't think anything of it because it was way too weak to mean anything. But Vegeta knew that speed too damn well.

So he blasted off into the air immediately, flew up to it and was a few meters away from its landing spot before it entered the Earth's atmosphere.

He tensed in anticipation as it landed in a deserted area.

He swallowed as the smoke slowly dissipated after the gargantuan crash. He crossed his arms momentarily and decided to land right in front of it.

The pod opened slowly, releasing more smoke. That was odd.

Vegeta squinted his eyes, but nothing came out. His brows knitted and he gave a step ahead.

But then it moved.

The being inside began to move, slowly. It grabbed the sides of the pod and lifted itself.

And then the smoke cleared.

Vegeta couldn't believe what he was seeing.

There were many odd things about the creature. First, it was a boy, no older than ten. Secondly, he was badly hurt. One of his eyes was almost swollen shut, his lips were busted, his nose was bleeding and he had bruises and scratches all around his body. He was quivering and bleeding. But, what had Vegeta frozen in the spot, was that the boy looked exactly like him when he was a boy.

He was looking at his younger self, right in front of him.

The boy slowly lifted his head and looked around before locking his black eyes on Vegeta. His eyes widened,

"It's you…" he whispered.

"Who the hell are you?" Vegeta said, loudly. The boy flinched a little bit and swallowed hard.

"I… I'm…" he didn't say anything after that. Vegeta glared at him and studied his form. He was hunching slightly, one arm wrapped around his ribs. He was only wearing a blue spandex suit, which was torn and soaked in blood. His tail was missing half of its length and was knotted at the broken tip. He wasn't putting any weight on one of his legs, lifting it off of the ground by a tiny bit and helping himself by leaning on the pod. He noted with disgust the worst of his injuries: he was missing a few phalanges on his hands and half of his right ear had been torn off. He also sported burn marks and long scrapes and gouges adorned his tiny form. Perhaps the main difference between both, apart from the bangs and the size, was the buildup: the young boy was way too thin for a child. Heck, he was way too thin for a living thing.

"Who hurt you?" Vegeta asked.

"T-the men." He said slowly. "Y-youre Prince Vegeta."

"I am." He said. "Who are you?"

The boy looked at the floor and then back up at the prince: "I'm y-your clone."

"WHAT?" the prince roared.

The young boy flinched and leaned heavily on the pod, trembling with fear as he let out a choked moan of terror.

"I-I'm sorry." He whispered.

Vegeta felt disgusted, watching himself _pleading. _Pathetic.

"Who created you?"

The boy took a deep breath and winced, putting more pressure on his torso. "B-before leaving for N-namek, Lord Frieza a-already knew that-that he'd pro-probably have to-to kill you. But-but he didn't w-want to lose you… so-so he took blood samples from-from your pod and began to clone you, so that he'd still have you… not being _you._ He-he would've raised me the way he saw fit... from my-my b-birth. But he died on Namek and nobody ever… stopped my creation."

"That bastard." Vegeta growled. "How old are you?"

"E-eight."

"My trip to Namek, and Frieza's death, was way more than ten years ago."

"It takes a few years to gestate a clone with Saiyan's DNA. It's too complex."

"How comes you know all that?"

"They explained it to me."

Vegeta sighed and crossed his arms again, studying the child.

"Who hurt you?" he repeated.

The boy trembled and closed his eyes momentarily, turning his head a bit. Vegeta recognized the faint glimmer of old teartracks running down his cheeks.

"When I was born, one of the doctors took me to his home planet and I was raised there by a kind couple. A year and a half ago, remains of Frieza's soldiers found me and took me away. They killed my parents and kidnapped me… They said I looked exactly like you, and because I was _your_ clone" his cheeks flushed with anger "I had to pay for _your_ misdeeds."

Vegeta snorted and glared at him harder. The boy hunched even more. "Why did you come here?"

"One of them told me that nobody would recognize my face here." He mumbled. "I bet he never imagined that _you_ would be here as well."

"What a fucking coincidence." Vegeta muttered. "Can you fly?"

"I-I'm sorry." He muttered. "I have no energy left."

Before he saw him moving, Vegeta slammed his outstretched hand into the base of the boy's neck and rendered him unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Vegeta dropped the boy unceremoniously on the couch of Capsule Corp.'s living room. He then entered the kitchen and spotted Bulma trying to boil a bottle for their two-year-old daughter.

"I need to talk to you." he said. Bulma jumped.

"Gracious, Vegeta! You scared me. I didn't see you coming in." she said, turning around to kiss his cheek.

"Come to the living room right now, Bulma." he said flatly.

She blinked a few times before lowering the heat of the bottle. "Okay."

Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. There was a battered and beaten child version of Vegeta lying unconscious on her couch, bleeding all over the floor. It reminded her of the times Vegeta came in all bloodied from his training sessions ,nearly giving her a heart attack. She ran up to the couch and knelt before the boy.

"He's you!"

"He's _not_ me." Vegeta growled.

"He looks a lot like you." she then looked up at him with rage in her features. "He's your son, isn't he? He is a boy looking for the father that abandoned his mother!" she accused.

"What? Don't be ridiculous, Bulma." he answered. "You are the first woman I -"

"Oh, please. All those years in outer space and you never did it with anyone else? I'm not an idiot. Besides, you were far too experienced the first time we did it to have been a virgin. AND you admitted it to me years ago!" she ranted.

"Let me finish my sentence. You're the first woman I had sex with, without any sort of protection."

Bulma glared at him harder and turned to look at the boy. "Whatever. Who is he then?"

"He's a clone." he said.

"A clone? Who cloned you?"

"Frieza."

Bulma caressed the boy's face and sighed. "What's his story?"

"Apparently, Frieza created him because he knew that he was going to kill me on Namek. Nobody stopped his creation, so one of the doctors simply took him to his planet when he was born and some weaklings raised him as his own. Leftovers from Frieza's army found him and took their revenge. He was my clone so they hurt him as if he was me." he said as he also examined the boy before them.

"Poor kid." she muttered. "He can't be very old."

"Eight."

"He's way too thin."

"He was supposedly with them for a year and a half. They must've starved him." he growled.

"We have to take him to the sickbay before he bleeds out." she said softly. "Did he say anything else?"

"No. He's really quiet."

She shushed him as he began to stir. His eyelids fluttered and he opened them slowly, groaning, before shooting up from the couch and focusing his scared eyes on the pair before him. Unfortunately, his wounds were too severe and he landed back on the couch, clutching his ribs and trembling. He opened one of his clenched eyes and looked at Bulma. Then he looked at Vegeta and swallowed.

"Hi, there." Bulma said softly. "I'm Bulma."

"Hi." he said between teeth.

"You look a lot like my husband." she said, winking.

"Y-your hus..." he looked up at Vegeta and his good eye widened. "Prince Vegeta is married?! That's..."

"Shut it." Vegeta growled.

The boy closed his mouth immediately and looked down at his mangled hands.

"He's grouchy and cranky all the time. Just ignore him."

"I'm not him." the boy said. "I may look like him, but I'm not prince Vegeta."

"Damn straight you're not." Vegeta growled.

"We need to take you to the sickbay." Bulma said softly. "What's your name?"

"V... I don't have one." he said.

"What did they call you before?"

"Vegeta." he said. "But I'm not Vegeta."

"Only the royal bloodline deserves that name. Not a weakling like you." Vegeta spat.

"Doesn't matter. Come with me to the sickbay, little one. We'll fix you up." Bulma said, getting up to take him away.

"Uhm... Bulma? I-I can't walk."

Bulma looked at him with pity and nodded. "I'll bring some sedatives, okay? Stay here."

The boy nodded and watched as she walked away.

"I need to ask you a few questions." Vegeta said, crossing his arms. "Who exactly was hurting you?"

"I'm not sure about their names. I think one of them was... Nazyer?"

"Nazyerou." Vegeta said bitterly. "Who else?"

"Uhm... Ghanda, Prattos... I-I can't remember very well."

"Where were you?"

"In a cell."

"Coordinates? Planet? Anything?"

"No. I'm sorry."

Vegeta meditated for a second. "Why didn't they come looking for me?"

"Well, for one thing, you are feared throughout the entire universe. You're way too strong for them to handle. And even if you weren't your death on Namek was broadcast throughout the entire Planet Trade Organization community. Some people believed you were still alive but looking for you would take longer thank looking for me." he said.

"What exactly were the misdeeds you were charged for?"

The boy glared up at him. "Killing innocents, destroying planets, torturing entire populations..."

"If they were Frieza's soldiers then they did the same thing."

"Apparently, they said something about you being Frieza's favorite."

"They were jealous?" he said, amused.

"No. They just felt undignified that after all Frieza had done for you, you had the guts to kill him."

"They think I killed Frieza?"

"You didn't?"

"Why are they upset about me killing Frieza?" he asked. He didn't know of many people, apart from Zarbon, Dodoria, the Ginyu Force and a few others, who liked Frieza very much.

"Because you upset his brother."

"Cooler?"

The boy flinched a bit at the name and nodded.

"Is that where you were? In one of Cooler's planets?"

The clone swallowed a bit and looked behind Vegeta. He really wanted those sedatives.

"I-I don't know. May-maybe. I heard them mention Lord Cooler sometimes." He swallowed and his trembling got worse. His eyes half-lidded and he put one of his mangled hands on his forehead. "There were a lot of things you were charged for, though." he whispered, glaring up at Vegeta.

"Don't look at me like that, brat." he growled. "I can do much worse in a few minutes than what they did in a year."

"Vegeta!" Bulma said, tapping the syringe with her finger. "Stop threatening our guest."

"N-no!" the boy cried, his eyes wide. "No! No, don't inject me! Please! I-I'll leave immediately!"

"Honey, calm down." Bulma soothed. "It's not going to hurt!"

Tears began to stream from the boys eyes and he put his arms across his face. His shortened tail came up as if it was trying to wrap itself around his waist.

"No!" he wailed. "P-p-p-lease!"

"SHUT UP!" Vegeta said. "You're going to wake up our daughter and dammit all to hell if I have to hear that girl wailing again!"

The boy bit his lips but his shoulders shook with sobs. Bulma knelt down before him and put a hand on his head. The boy whimpered in fear and tried to lif this legs to his chest, but failed. Bulma began to scrap his head softly, trying to calm him down. The boy looked up at her his wet, wide eyes and slowly relaxed. His eyes closed and he leaned into the touch, sighing slightly. Bulma felt a pang on her chest. What had they done to the poor boy?

"Are you afraid of needles?" she asked softly.

"I..." he looked at Vegeta and shook his head. "I'm n-not afraid of anything."

"It's okay." she said softly, ignoring Vegeta's ironical chuckle. "It's okay to be afraid. The strongest man I know is also afraid of needles."

"And he's a stupid thirdclass." Vegeta added.

"Vegeta, you're not helping." Bulma snapped, glaring at him. "There's a beef in the oven. Go eat it and leave us alone."

"No fucking way." Vegeta growled. "That boy might be a stupid weakling but he's still stronger than you and I'm not going to leave you alone."

"Don't be ridiculous." Bulma said. "He can't even move."

Vegeta grunted. It was true. He could barely lift his arms and he couldn't even walk, or fly, much less create a ki blast. He rolled his eyes and left, convincing himself that he was really hungry and he was leaving because he wanted to eat, NOT because the woman had told him to.

"That's impressive." The boy said. "Are you stronger than Prince Vegeta?"

Bulma laughed. "You heard him. I'm just a human."

"Then why does he obey you?"

"He'd rather go and eat than discuss with me and end up sleeping on the couch." she laughed. "So, now that he's gone. Are you afraid of needles?"

"A-ah... more or less. They used to experiment on me. N-needles m-mean lots of pain." he said.

"Well, here needles mean less pain and lots of healing."

The clone looked skeptical, but he let Bulma grab his wrist and extend his weak arm. She inserted the needle into his vein and his eyes rolled to the back of his head before he could even thank the woman. Bulma sighed in relief. Losing so much blood couldn't be good, even for a Saiyan.

She called Vegeta back to the living room and the older man carried the young boy down to the medical bay.

"What did he told you when I left?" Vegeta asked as they walked downstairs.

"Not much. Just that they used to experiment on him, so he hates needles. What about you?"

"He revealed a lot of things."

"Tell me. We've got time."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: In my story, Cooler exists but his movies didn't happen. Maybe that'll explain a bit!

* * *

Vegeta looked at the boy as Bulma undressed him. They both hissed at the injuries on his body. He was full of all kinds of imaginable wounds, some looked extremely painful. Blood seeped like cascades down most of them. His ribs protruded and they could count each of them, seeing clearly which ones were broken. There were words carved into his skin, but neither of them cared to read them.

Bulma got up and called a few doctors through the intercom. Then she grabbed a clean cloth and began to clean the blood.

"Well," Vegeta spoke finally. "For one thing, I realized that the men who took him are working for Cooler now. Which means that he took up whatever remained from Frieza's army. And probably his father's."

"Who is Cooler?" Bulma asked.

"Frieza's brother. I also realized that they were charging him because I supposedly betrayed Frieza." He sat down on a chair next to the bed. "When I was working for Frieza, he and I had a silent deal. None of us wanted anyone outside the base I lived in to know how he was treating me. I did it for my pride, he did it because he feared that others would pity me and start a revolution." He explained. "Only the people who lived in Planet Frieza #1 knew of my living conditions. The other people thought Frieza spoiled me beyond reason. The clone told me that they thought it wrong of me to kill Frieza after what he had done for me in the past. That means that the men who hurt him where men who lived in other bases different from mine."

"They think you killed Frieza?"

"Yeah. And they think I'm dead." Vegeta said. "Some of them, at least. The ones that he mentioned were men that had their planets purged and destroyed by me and my men. I remember their names from when Frieza recruited them. That must be one of the reasons why they want to take vengeance on him. But…" he frowned. "I highly doubt that someone sending him here was a coincidence. Planet Earth is not the only planet without intergalactic communication."

"If I remember well, Frieza and his father knew about Earth, didn't they? Goku must have mentioned it." Bulma said.

The doctors entered then, hurriedly. Vegeta stepped out after they looked at him, baffled, and then back at the boy. He was not in the mood to deal with their foolishness. Bulma stepped out after she explained a few details and they both walked back upstairs to the living room.

"It surprises me that Cooler hasn't come here yet." Vegeta said.

"Maybe he doesn't know. Frieza probably never told him where he was going before he died." Bulma answered.

"Probably. Frieza and Cooler hated each other. But it still makes no sense. Who could've sent him here?"

Bulma shrugged and sighed. "Maybe the man who sent him here wasn't that good and he thought that you'd kill him on sight. They still don't know that you've changed."

Vegeta shook his head.

"The Vegeta they know wouldn't have left Planet Earth unscathed." He answered. "And he certainly wouldn't be living here."

"Poor kid." She muttered as she looked back at the stairs. When she looked up at him again, she saw something buried deep within his black eyes. "He reminds you of yourself, doesn't he? When Frieza punished you."

"I had muscle on my bones." He said. "I was not a weakling."

"Vegeta – "

"And Frieza was crueler."

With that, he left the house and went to the Gravity Room.

* * *

Bulma put a hand on the thrashing boy's forehead. He seemed to be having a nightmare. He was sweating profusely and whimpering. His eyes finally flew open with a short scream and he began to blabber words.

"Please! Please, I'm sorry! Please, I wouldn't have done it! It wasn't me! I didn't do it!"

Bulma shushed him and kept his arms in place when he tried to lift them up to cover his face. The clone looked up at her through the eye that wasn't covered by the bandages surrounding his head. He swallowed a few times and looked around.

"Calm down." She said soothingly. "It's okay. You're with me now." She caressed his bruised face and buried her nails in his hair, massaging his scalp. "You're in an infirmary, being taken care of. You're going to be okay."

The small boy relaxed a bit and looked down at his body. He was covered in bandages and had a few stitches here and there. His hands were covered with some blue goo that was causing a tingling sensation on his fingers, but they had stopped hurting so bad. Needles were buried in the crook of both of his arms and on his hands. He had some sort of plastic mask on his face that, somehow, was helping him breathe. He closed his eyes and thanked every deity he had ever heard of for relieving him of the gnawing pain in his body for the first time in almost two years.

"Thank you." He muttered.

"You're welcome." Bulma smiled. "You have Vegeta's metabolism so you should heal nicely in a few days. Some of the wounds were infected so that's gonna take a bit longer. Fortunately, my medics discovered recently the stimulating goo that you have on your hands right now. It'll help your fingers grow back. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to help you recuperate them." She said, still speaking slowly and calmly. "We couldn't apply that to your whole body, though, because it takes your own energy to stimulate cell reproduction and skin growth through stem cells. What we applied will have you on your limits for a while." She said.

"A-and," he hesitated before continuing, not daring to look her in the eyes "what is going to happen to my tail?"

"Oh! Well, you're lucky. Saiyan tails can grow back until they reach puberty. That's what Vegeta explained to me. Your tails can grow back."

"Yes, I know that." He said softly, his eyes filling with sadness.

It didn't take Bulma long to know what he was thinking. They had obviously ripped his tail off in the past, a lot of times. Having it back probably meant a great deal of fear and pain for the poor boy.

"We will also work on your nerve receptors. Vegeta told me that after a while, he lost all feeling on his tail. We can do a little research and help you out with that."

He looked up at her with a bit of hope in his eyes. "Really?"

"Yes." She smiled.

"And what will happen then?"

"What do you mean?"

He swallowed and looked away. "When I am healed. Where will you send me to?"

"Nowhere." She said, slightly surprised. "You'll live with us."

"I doubt Prince Vegeta would like to keep his clone."

"Too bad this is not Prince Vegeta's house." She said, winking.

"He does not live here?"

"He does. But I own the house."

The small boy frowned. "How comes?"

"When Frieza died, Vegeta was homeless. I offered him a home and somehow, he liked it better here than in outer space." She said, laughing a bit. "He's been living here since then. It's still my house, though."

"Why doesn't he kill you when you don't do his bidding?"

Bulma sighed and put a finger lightly on her chin, thinking. "Well, he's a complicated man. I think that at first, he was behind a much greater goal than that of killing a weak woman like me. He wanted to overpower some man. It's a long story for another day. Then he just began to… share moments with us. He just began to realize that it wasn't that bad to live here and well…" she looked behind her and leaned into the boy. "Here between us, he fell in love."

"I want to hear that story someday." He said softly. "My mother used to tell me lots of stories to help me fall asleep. She'd sing lullabies, too."

Bulma smiled and passed a nail softly down his white cheek.

"I can tell you stories, and sing lullabies."

He sighed. "I'm not a baby anymore."

Bulma ignored the disturbing tone of his voice and forced a smile. "That's what my son Trunks always says!"

Somebody knocked on the door.

"Bulma, dear!" Bunny chirped. "Open up! I brought some food for your patient!"

Bulma walked up to the door and opened it. She leaned in to whisper to her beaming mother.

"I can't let you in just yet. He has to take confidence little by little."

"That's okay dear." Bunny said, a little disappointed. She handed Bulma the tray with a plate of soup, a freshly fried fish, French fries, rice, a few sausages and a few pieces of buttered toasts, along with a tall glass filled to the brim with water. "The doctors said we should take it easy on his stomach so I cooked little food."

Bulma laughed. This was certainly little food for a saiyan. She thanked her mother and walked back inside. The clone's mouth watered and he stared longingly at the food.

"Alright, I hope you like salmon! My mother prepared it just for you."

His eyes widened. "It-it's for me?"

Bulma helped him to sit up, accommodating the pillows under him and putting the tray on his legs. She grabbed the soup plate.

"I'll have to spoon feed you. The least you move your hands, the better."

"I-I thought…" he swallowed and kept silent.

"What?"

"I thought the food was for you." He said hesitantly.

"Why would it be for me?" she said. "I'm not the one who needs to fatten up. I already had lunch upstairs."

"It's just…" he bit his lip.

"What?" she urged gently.

"I thought you were going to eat it in front of me." He said. "I… For a moment I thought you were going to make me beg for it."

She shuddered at the image of a group of men eating like pigs in front of the poor starving boy. She could picture him begging for a bit of food. She could even picture them leaving the empty plates in his cell, just to torture him with the smell.

"Nothing like that will happen to you anymore, little one." She said. She picked up a spoonful and blew it. Then she drove it to his lips.

The boy closed his eyes in pleasure. It had been so long since he had last tasted something so delicious.

"I want you to tell me when you feel full, okay? We don't want to force your stomach. Nothing here goes to waste and you can eat again whenever you're hungry, okay?"

He nodded. "Thank you, Bulma."

"You're welcome, little one."

* * *

That night, the small boy was sleeping deeply after Bulma sang him a lullaby and stayed with him until unconsciousness claimed him. She changed his bandages, cleaned his wounds again and applied more goo to his hands. She checked his vital sings and finally left to accompany her husband in bed.

The little boy was awaken rudely by a cold voice in his head.

_"Vegeta." _They called. _"Vegeta!"_

He gasped and opened his eyes, his heart hammering in his chest.

"S-sir?"

_"Where are you?"_

"I…I'm here." He said in a tiny voice.

_"How's it going?"_

He closed his eyes. He was so scared.

"I-I just got here." _He can't hurt me here. He can't hurt me here. He can't hurt me here._

_"You STUPID FREAK! Stop being such a baby and do as you're told. Remember our deal?"_

He swallowed. "Yes."

_"Freedom. Complete freedom."_

The boy's eyes watered and he looked at the ceiling. "I'll do it."


	4. Chapter 4

Regret wasn't something Vegeta was familiar with. He believed that the past was the past and whether you might try to get redemption, there's no point in crying over spilled milk.

His mind was fragile enough as it was. Feeling bad over every single thing he had done would drive him utterly crazy.

Sure, he was a changed man and would never do it again. He'd never torture and purge again no matter what. He'd probably ask for forgiveness if he could… but he couldn't, so why bother.

But that morning, that feeling crept up his spine and into his heart, tensing his muscles and filling him with rage.

_Why the fuck did I take that freak with me?_

It all began the first morning.

The clone woke up covered in sweat. He swallowed a few times before recognizing his surroundings and relaxing a bit. Bulma was next to him, checking his vital sings and humming a low song. She seemed happy and calm and that calmed him as well. Bulma finally realized he was awake ane she smiled widely at him, helping him sit up.

"Good morning, sweetie."

The small boy smiled a bit. In the inside, though, he was exploding with joy. What a beautiful way to wake up. So different from the usual rusted door creaking open, the steps coming closer, the kick to his gut, the rough voice insulting him. _"Wake up, little bitch. Time to play." _

"Good morning, Bulma."

"You hungry? My mom's preparing your breakfast. I surely hope you like waffles and cereal. She'll probably cook an omelet as well. That's Vegeta's favorite." She said.

"W-what's an omelet?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him with wide eyes before slapping her forehead with her outstretched hand.

"Oh, right. You come from outer space. You're not familiar with our food." She laughed a little. "I remember the first days Vegeta was here. He ravaged our fridge. I actually thought we'd be broke by the time the first week was over. He actually admitted to me that our food was one of the best ones he'd had in his life. That means you'll enjoy it, too, I hope."

The small boy didn't know what to say. It had been a long time since he had last spoken with anyone. He played with his fingers and looked up at Bulma. He swallowed uneasily a few times.

"H-how strong is Prince Vegeta?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him, blinking a few times in confusion before answering. "He's one of the strongest beings in the universe." She said. "If not the strongest."

"Then why isn't he a ruler? Why doesn't he conquer the universe?"

"I guess he doesn't want to anymore." She said, shrugging. "He chose to use that power for good things. Like saving the planet and whatnot."

"Bulma," he said, closing his eyes as if he was afraid.

"Yes, honey?"

"D-do you think he-he'd like to… train me?"

"Train you? Why would you want him to train you?" she said, frowning. She grabbed his hand and the jar of goo on the table next to him and began to apply it on his hands softly and slowly.

"I might be a clone but I have saiyan blood in my veins. I don't want to be weak anymore." He said.

"Honey, you're not weak." She said, moving to his other hand.

"I am." He said "I don't want to be. If I have the potential to be as strong as the prince, then why should I blow my chance?"

Bulma remained quiet as she finished massaging his hand.

"Okay. I warn you. Vegeta is aggressive, cruel and a bit of a maniac. I wouldn't want to train with him, much less considering that he likes training alone and will try to convince you of backing out of it." She said. "But, it's your choice, buddy. I'll talk to him."

"Really?" he said, excitedly.

"I strongly oppose to this." She said.

_And Vegeta will, too. _

* * *

"Fine." He said between bites.

"Excuse me?"

The prince bit into his egg roll again and swallowed before locking his eyes on hers.

"I said, _fine._"

Bulma stared at him with wide eyes. The fork on her hand fell to the floor and she hastily scooped it up before frowning at him.

"You _mean_ it, Vegeta? You actually want to train the clone?"

He shrugged. "Why not? I'll teach him not to bawl over a bruise."

"Whoa, whoa. The idea is to train him, not abuse him."

Vegeta grunted. "He said he wanted it. He can back out if he isn't prepared to get beat."

"Oh my gosh, Vegeta. I won't let you hurt him the way they hurt him back there."

The prince glared at her before straightening and pushing the empty plate away. He leaned on the chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I intend to train him, not torture him. Unlike Frieza and his goons, I know the difference between a training session and torture." He said. "But I won't take it easier on him. He's training with the prince of all saiyans and I will train him the way I trained Trunks and Goten."

"Vegeta, the clone is much weaker than those two." She said. "You could kill him."

"I should've killed him the moment he stepped out of that pod." He growled. He got up and stretched.

She was about to tell him a thing or two about that last comment before deciding against it. She sighed and shook her head slowly. "He'll be healed in a week, give or take. Then you can start his training."

"Whatever."

"I'm going to take a bath." She said as she got up as well. She crossed the kitchen and stopped at the door. She turned around and smirked. "You should take one as well."

Vegeta smirked and licked his fangs. "I'm right behind you."

"Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you?" She winked.

Vegeta laughed and followed her outside.

* * *

It turned out the boy had a metabolism that would put Wolverine to shame. That night the leg that had been immobilized had been mostly healed. The bone had been shattered horribly, the pieces incrusted into his muscles, and his tendons had been cut. They had also wrapped what Bulma had assumed to be some sort of spiral-shaped strap that they would heat up to burn him. That, without counting the numerous bruises, welts, gouges and wounds of all kinds that covered his entire body.

The bruises and wounds were still there, but his bone and tendons were partially healed, so he could move it somewhat freely. That night, the boy was able to walk again. He did so shakily, grabbing onto the tables and walls. He was not very used to it and the malnourishment didn't help either, but he made it out into the hall and up the stairs.

They got to the kitchen. Vegeta was there, rummaging through the fridge. He turned around when he felt their ki. He glared at them and took out the pizza leftovers from the night before. They were enough to fill up a whole box, but they weren't enough for the prince. Even so, he grabbed the plate on which they were piled up and slammed the door of the fridge behind him. He put them in the microwave and set the timer. Then he turned around and leaned on the counter with his arms crossed.

Meanwhile, Bulma had helped him sit down and was preparing a chicken noodle soup for him.

"So, _clone. _I heard you want to stop being a weakling."

He looked at his lap. "Yes, sir."

"Look at me when you're talking to me, brat. And don't mumble."

"Vegeta, don't be so rude." Bulma said, still giving her back to them as she prepared the soup.

"I'm not being rude. Didn't your parents teach to respect, boy?"

The clone looked at him with a flash of anger before looking down again. Bulma glared at him form above her shoulder.

"Stop being such a jerk, Vegeta."

"Just a heads-up, boy." Vegeta said after a moment. "Training with me isn't a game. I'll turn you into a warrior, but it's an uphill way."

The boy swallowed before locking his eyes on Vegeta. "I might be a clone, but I'm still a saiyan. I'm not you, nor am I part of your family. But your blood still runs through my veins and if you're a warrior them I am a warrior as well."

Both Vegeta and Bulma looked at him. The look in his eyes was way older than it should've been in a child his age. And he surely looked so much different. Nobody would have expected that little boy that was so scared of everything to suddenly turn so… determined. Vegeta glared at him and growled a little, his arms uncrossing from above his chest.

Soon enough, the boy's eyes changed and he sunk into the chair in fear. He trembled and looked down. Vegeta smirked.

"That's the spirit, boy." He said.

"W-what?" he asked softly. He risked a look through his eyelashes.

"I knew there was some fight in you left. You're my clone after all." He said. He took the pizzas out of the microwave and sat across from the clone, stuffing his mouth.

Bulma put the warm plate of soup in front of the clone and sat between both.

"Chichi called me today." She said.

"Hn."

And so, Bulam began to talk and it was all forgotten.

The clone couldn't believe it.

The prince of saiyans really tought he could make it.

* * *

Later that same night, Trunks came home. He had been staying over at Goten's house for the weekend and now he was back. He ran into the living room to say hello to his parents and stopped dead in his tracks. There was a mini-version of his dad looking at the TV. He was baffled.

"Dad?" he asked.

The boy jumped a bit and turned to look at Trunks.

"Oh… no, uhm, uh…"

"Oh. My. Gosh." He said. "Somebody turned you into a kid with the dragonballs?" he exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Who did it? Why? I wanna know I wanna know I wanna know! Mum must be so mad at you." He ran up to him and climbed on the couch. He, however, quieted down as he saw the severe abuse marks on his body. "Who beat you up? Was it an enemy? Tell me! Is he really, really strong? Stronger than Buu?"

The clone swallowed a bit before trying to back away from the strange boy. "I'm not… I'm not Vegeta."

Trunks frowned a bit. "I see you lost your memory as well. Hmmm."

"No." The boy said quietly. "I'm Vegeta's clone."

The purple-haired boy's eyes widened. "WHAT?" The clone flinched a bit at the loud voice. "Don't tell me my mom cloned my dad!"

"No." he said. "Frieza cloned me."

"Who's Frieza?"

The younger boy looked at him baffled. "_Lord_ Frieza. The previous owner of most of the known Universe."

"No idea." He shrugged. "Never heard of 'im."

Bulma entered at that moment and smiled widely at Trunks. She hugged him and kissed his forehead.

"Hi, sweetie! How did it go at Goten's?" she said as she opened a small bottle of transparent cream and began to rub it on the clone's injured face. "I see you met each other already. This is my son, Trunks. The one I spoke to you about. Trunks," she turned to look at him and smiled "this is your dad's clone."

"He told me. Who hurt you?" he asked.

"Some men." Bulma answered for him. "Honey, why don't you go say hi to your daddy? He's training in the gravity chamber."

Trunks smiled wider. "Okay!"

The clone watched him run out of the house and frowned in confusion.

"Is he a good father?" he asked quietly.

"He tries his best. It's not easy for him." She said as she sat next to him and closed the small bottle.

"Trunks seems to like him a lot."

Bulma smiled. "It's hard to explain. You can't ask much from him either. He didn't have a father figure."

"What about Frieza?" he said, cocking his eyebrow.

Bulma's eyes turned sad and she unconsciously caressed the boy's face, as if she was caressing Vegeta as a child growing under Frieza.

"Frieza was his master, not his father. He was cruel to him." Bulma said. "I can't ask much of him."

The clone looked even more confused.

"They told me… they told me Frieza treated him like his son. He gave him whatever a man would want. He enjoyed the best purges, his own team to rule, personal training sessions, personal quarters, a high ranking – "

"It was a lie. He didn't enjoy anything. He was deprived of basic things and mistreated. And even if it _was _true, which it isn't, a child needs more than things to be happy. He needs love. An army is no place to raise a child." She said softly, sighing as she looked into the distance.

"Prince Vegeta was mistreated?" he asked, surprised.

"Horribly. He was a soldier… but more than that, he was Frieza's little puppet."

Bulma finally snapped out of it and looked at him. "You can't tell him I told you this."

The clone nodded.

* * *

The next morning he got woken up none too gently by a loud noise. He sat up and looked around with his heart beating like crazy. He was about to start pleading when he recognized his surroundings again. He swallowed and put a hand on his forehead. He noticed with joy that his fingers looked much better. In a short time he'd have them again.

Bulma came down at that moment. There was a vein popping on her forehead and she was blushing with anger. The clone raised the cover of his bed and covered himself up to his shoulders, trembling.

She immediately smiled.

"Hey, there. Sorry if we woke you up." She said. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." He said. "Are you angry?"

"Not with you." She said softly. "I had a fight with the prince of all jerks."

He giggled a little.

"Did he do something to you?"

"No. I'd kill him if he did." She said, checking, once again, his vital sings. "Not like I could but I'm sure he'd change his mind if I kicked him out of my fucking house."

He swallowed nervously. He didn't like that tone. That tone was bad. He clenched the bedsheets and looked away. Bulma noticed and tried to calm down.

"I'm sorry. He's just so exasperating sometimes." She said. "Let's go grab our breakfast okay?"

"O-okay." He muttered.

Vegeta was fuming. That stupid woman had no right to speak to him as if he was her slave. He was a prince for god's sakes.

"Damn her and her stupid mouth. Should've killed her back on Namek." He growled as he stomped up to the Gravity room. "Who does she think she is? I can get sex anywhere, I don't need her. Stupid bitch. Only gives birth to annoying brats…" he was muttering under his breath when he felt the boy's ki in the kitchen. He took a few deep breaths and, after mulling it for a bit, walked back into the house.

The clone was eating while Bulma spoke to him. She glared at him once he stepped in and he glared back. He showed her his fangs and she showed him her middle finger.

"Brat." He spat.

The clone choked on his food and coughed, wrapping his arms around his still bruised ribs. He moaned and tried to breathe deeply. When the pain subsided somewhat, he looked up briefly.

"Y-yes, sir?"

The prince looked at him with disgust. "We start out training today."

"No." Bulma said. "He's still in healing process. He's still hurt, and weak. He can barely move and…"

"I wasn't speaking to you." He growled. "And it wasn't a question."

Bulma got up and glared at him. "He can barely walk on his own!"

"As long as he's standing, he's good." He shrugged.

"Vegeta, look at him! He's skin and bones! He doesn't have the energy to go through something like that, much less the physical condition it takes! He'll pass out! He is still covered in all kinds of wounds and – "

"It's okay." The boy spoke softly. Both looked at him. "I'll train."

"Honey," Bulma said softly, rounding the table and kneeling next to him. "you're in no condition to train. I know you're eager but look at you. You're still missing at least one fourth of your tail and some of your fingers. You're still hurt all around. And you're still underfed."

"I can do this." He said.

"Little one…" she said softly. "I can't let you hurt yourself further."

"Oh, come on." Vegeta growled. "I'm going to train him, not beat him unconscious with a red hot poker."

Bulma clenched her fists and closed her eyes in anger.

"Hit the road, Jack!" she exclaimed, pointing at the door.

"You can't order me around." He answered. "Come on, boy."

The clone got up and looked at Bulma.

"I can do this." He repeated.

Vegeta smirked and walked out the door. His little clone followed him, limping a little. They went out to the backyard and Vegeta looked down at him.

"One hundred sit-ups. Now." He ordered.

The boy didn't hesitate. It was exaggerated, but he was expecting much more. So he began to do them.

Vegeta knew the boy was hurt, so he would just work on building his muscle mass until he got a little stronger and could actually stand a fight.

But around the 50th, the boy had to stop. His leg was killing him and his spine was aching like crazy.

"That's fifty, boy. My two-year-old daughter can do that."

"M-my leg hurts a lot." He said.

"What do you expect me to do? Kiss the pain good-bye? Warriors stand through the pain boy. How do you ever expect to stand a fight if you're incapable of getting through a bit of pain?" the prince reprimanded.

The boy swallowed before starting on his seat-ups again. But his leg was on fire, and soon it crumbled under his weight. He cried out and held it, breathing in gasps.

"I-I'm sorry." He whimpered. "It just hurts too bad."

"Hn." Veget growled, rolling his eyes. He turned around. "I'll go away. You're clearly not ready to stand primary school P.E."

"No, wait!" the boy said, trying to get up. "I can. I swear."

Vegeta glared at him. "No, you can't."

"I-I can! I-I-I just…"

Vegeta, fed up with everything and with the morning rage still consuming him, whirled around and growled deeply. The fear in the boy's eyes fueled his anger even more.

"When you're in the battlefield, pain is constant and you can't back out just because your leg hurts! Stop being such an idiot! Warriors fight on broken bones and train on bleeding limbs! You're just a freak that doesn't have any blood of mine! You've never been through what I've been! You're a weakling and an idiot and will never be strong! You'll always be held back by the truth: You're a stupid, weak, lab rat." He stated, breathing hard from the rage.

The clone's eyes watered and he looked away.

"You're lying."

"Excuse me?"

"YOU'RE LYING! I've been through horrible things as well! I know pain and desperation! And rage and thirst of vengeance! Only difference is I never took it out on innocent people! I never killed and tortured anyone just for the hell of it! I'm not weak, and I'm not an idiot! I'm strong, but they starved me back there! They tortured me! And let me remind you that it was _you _who got experimented on to create _me!_" he slowly got up, trying to ignore the pain on his leg. "It's not my fault that you were Frieza's little puppet!"

That was it. Vegeta broke. He saw red.

Before anyone knew what was going on, a loud crack echoed in the air. He had punched him in the face and then in the chest, cracking his clavicle and cheekbone. The clone cried out and held his face. Tears ran down his cheeks as he sobbed.

Vegeta was about to punch him again before his reason came back to him. He looked at the boy on the floor. Bulma was going to make him sleep on the couch for a whole month _if_ he got lucky.

He also noticed with distaste that his leg was bleeding profusely and badly swollen. Maybe it wasn't just a simple ache…

So here he was, regretting taking that kid in with every fiber of his being. When Bulma had seen the boy, she had screamed his ears off and had slapped him. She had even hurt her hand, but hadn't cared. Crying with rage, she had told him that she never wanted to see him again and that he was not a father figure for anyone. She had even mentioned that she wouldn't let him see Trunks or Bulla ever again.

So Vegeta had left the house for a few hours. Until the woman calmed down, at least.

Now, he was training in the woods, rage consuming him.

And… did he really feel a little guilt?

No. He was the prince of saiyans.

Saiyans never felt guilty.

Or did they?


	5. Chapter 5

He flew back to Capsule Corp around midnight. He spotted Bulma leaning on the banister of the balcony, looking at the sky. He sighed briefly before landing behind her silently. He walked up to her and stood just a step behind her. She sighed, not turning to look back at him.

"His bone splintered again from the strain on his muscles. Most of the wounds reopened. He won't be able to walk for a while… again." She said softly. "His clavicle and jawbone are healing."

"Hn." He leaned on the banister next to her and looked at the sky as well. "You told him."

"I didn't mean to." She answered. "But I think it's fair that he knows about it."

Vegeta frowned. "He used it against me."

"You insulted him. He answered. It was only fair, Vegeta."

He eyed her briefly. Her tone lacked the anger that he was expecting. She sounded… tired.

"He'll get over it. I didn't kill him. It was just a couple of punches. He's been through it before."

"You're not like the men who put him through it." She said. "Are you?"

"No." he said immediately. "No, I'm not."

"Why do you hate him so much?" she finally turned her head to look at him. "He's just a boy, Vegeta. It's not his fault that he was born to replace you."

Vegeta sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb.

"I don't hate him." He said softly, tiredly. "I don't hate the boy. It's just… he reminds me so much of _those_ years. I thought it was all said and done and then he comes here and… and rips everything out of the hole I had buried it in. Besides, it's the way he behaves. I know it isn't his fault… but he's weak, he's a coward, he's… pathetic." He sighed a bit. "I want him to be as strong as I was at his age, but his mere existence just fills me with rage."

"Everyone hates him just for what he is." She answered. "They hated him for being your clone. You hate him for being your clone. He's used to be hated and ill-treated just – "

"For the amusement of those who are stronger than him. Just because he doesn't belong. He's being accused of things that he didn't commit." Vegeta finished for her. "Sounds similar to being accused of things that you were forced to do."

"He doesn't deserve the way you treat him, Vegeta. He's younger than Trunks. Vegeta, you were kept alive to be a soldier, a weapon of mass-destruction. That boy was kept alive for the sole purpose of being tortured day and night." She said. "You found a better life here. He deserves the same. He deserves a chance."

Vegeta sighed.

"It's going to be really hard to get used to him." He said. "But I think I'll manage."

* * *

_"What's wrong, little monkey?" the man taunted. "Getting a headache?"_

_The cruel man was stepping on the child's head, grinding his boot against his temple. Blood and tears ran down the boy's eyes and across his head as he screamed and scratched at the floor. It felt as if his brain was going to burst. _

_The man finally removed his boot and laughed as the child immediately curled into a ball and cried. _

_"He's so pathetic." Another man muttered. "You should've seen him pleading for food this morning. Nazyerou forced him to kiss his feet for food, but he didn't give him a bite."_

_The men laughed. _

_"So, you're hungry, huh?" the man said. The clone coughed a little and trembled. He was hurting so bad… he wanted them to leave. But he also wanted food. "I think I'll feed you, Vegeta."_

_He slowly looked up through the eye that hadn't been impaled by a wooden stick the night before. He hoped they'd take him to the doctors to heal him a bit. They always did with his life-threatening injuries, so that he wouldn't die. It was horrible, but at least the man would take care of his eye._

_"No answer?" he laughed. "Does your tongue still hurt, boy?"_

_"It could be his throat. Phenrid stomped really hard on it this morning. I think I heard something crack." _

_"So, Vegeta? Do you want to eat or not?"_

_He whimpered a bit and nodded. _

_"Tell you what. If you can walk up to the door and back to the wall before I count to ten, I'll let you have a few scraps for tonight. And water. Deal?"_

_The boy closed his eyes for a second and then stared at his ripped tail that lay a few feet away from him, in pieces, in a pool of blood. He could barely move his legs without it… not to mention his legs were horribly broken and twisted. He swallowed a bit. _

_It was worth the try._

_He slowly got up, trying with all his might to ignore the horrible pain in his lower body. He swayed a bit and leaned on the wall behind him. He heard, and felt, droplets of blood and sweat dripping down to the floor. He tried not to look at the intimidating men before he pushed himself off of the wall and staggered a few steps._

_"One… two… three…" the man began. _

_The small boy began to sob as he tried to walk, but the room soon began to spin around him. He closed his eyes momentarily and gave a few steps ahead. He stared at the floor. He wouldn't make it. _

_"Four… five…" _

_He hugged himself as he tried to walk faster, but the pain was too much. _

_"Six… seven…"_

_He fell on his face and threw up. It was too much. _

_"Eight… nine… and ten. I guess that's another night without food, kid."_

_"Please…" he said softly. _

_"Oh, boy. That's exactly how your victims pleaded. Did you hear them? No."_

_"I… I would've helped them." He said. "I swear. I wouldn't have – AHHHH!" he screamed as the man stomped on the spot where his tail used to be._

_"Shut up! You're a monster! You killed and tortured for fun and now you're getting what you deserve!"_

_The boy cried._

_"I didn't!" he said. "I don't do that! I haven't killed any- AHHHHH!"_

_The man stomped on his back and a few cracks sounded from his ribs shattering. The boy coughed blood and convulsed in shock. Another man walked up to him and stomped on his hand, crushing it below his foot. The first man stomped on his other hand as well and the boy lay trapped, with his hands broken below boots and his legs unmovable. He squirmed as he felt the third man walking up to him. He turned his head a bit and saw from the corner of his eye, the ki-whip the man had created with his hands._

_"Let's make it a lash for every family you destroyed on my planet."_

* * *

The clone screamed as he shot up from the bed. He put a hand on his forehead and looked around. The dark cell where he had fallen asleep in his own blood disappeared to give way to the comfy and calming sickbay. He swallowed a few times and looked down at his bandaged leg and then at his hands. His fingers were completely healed now.

Vegeta entered the room then.

The clone swallowed and looked away.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Vegeta said. "I just came to talk to you."

The clone remained quiet and looked down at his hands again. Vegeta sighed as he pushed his annoyance down and crossed his arms.

"I just want you to know that I don't hate you." He said, very uncharacteristically. He rubbed his temples and sighed. "I am angered that Frieza would just go out on his way and _clone _me. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

The clone looked at the prince skeptically. Was he… apologizing?

"I'm not apologizing." The prince said as if he had read his mind. "I just want you to know that my goal is to make you stronger, not hurt you. I didn't _want_ to punch you. What you said just…"

"I'm sorry." The boy said. "I shouldn't have said it. It was wrong. I-I… I don't know why I did it."

"Pure rage takes over saiyans easily. You snapped and backtalked to me. I snapped and punched you. It wasn't my intention." Vegeta said. "I still want to train you, if you're interested. But it isn't child's play. It's serious business."

"I'll do it." He said. "Once I get fully healed."

Vegeta smirked and nodded.

"Boy, there's one more thing. I did what I did because I was forced to do it. What those men did to you is nothing compared to what Frieza did to me when I refused to go on purging missions. I didn't enjoy it at first." He said. "Then again, I was a little boy when they took me away, so I grew up under those conditions. When torturing and killing is the only thing you have to release your anger and frustrations… you begin to enjoy it."

The small boy sighed and nodded.

"I… I didn't know that."

"Of course you didn't." he said.

With that, he walked away.

* * *

Bulma sighed as she heard the clone cry out and whimper in his sleep. They had already eaten their lunch, and the clone had gone back downstairs to sleep. Bulma had been giving him a few medicines to help him heal and get rid of the pain fast and easy, and though they were very effective, they took their toll on the small boy.

She put a hand on his sweaty forehead and his eyes immediately snapped open.

"Hi, there." She said calmly. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

He swallowed a bit and sat up.

"Fine."

"You were having a nightmare." She stated, sitting on the chair next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." he said immediately, trying to erase the memories from his tortured mind.

"Are you sure? It helps."

"I-it's a weak-weakness." He stammered, remembering unwillingly what they had told him back there.

"No, it's not. It's involuntary." She said. "Everyone has nightmares once in a while. You do often because of what they put you through, but it doesn't mean it's a weakness. It's a normal part of psychological processes, dear. Nothing to be ashamed about."

The clone's eyes filled with tears.

"It's okay if you think I'm weak." He said softly.

"I don't think you're weak." She said, frowning. "What you went through, and the fact that you _still _want to overcome it and become a warrior shows just how strong and brave you are. I admire you for that, and Vegeta does, too. That's saying a lot."

"Prince Vegeta doesn't _admire _me." He answered.

"Little one, the sole fact of him coming over here _willingly _to talk to you says much about what he thinks of you. He never takes the time to tell somebody that he doesn't hate them. He's only done that two times; one with the person he married and the other with the person he is raising. So I guess that should make you feel great." She said. She looked at the leg she had bandaged recently and then back up at him.

"You really think I'm strong?"

"I _know _you are."

"Thank you." He said, smiling a little bit.

"So? Will you tell me?" she said. "I can help you cope with it."

The clone thought for a second before opening his mouth and closing it a few times. He looked at Bulma before unconsciously fingering the mask on his face.

"It was… I was… They were…" he took a deep breath. "They chained me to the ceiling a-and began to… to pass sharp rakes across my body. T-t-they were destroying me." He began to tremble and hugged himself. "They did it over and over, up and down and right to left until…" a small sob escaped him.

"Until what?" Bulma asked with tears in her eyes, putting a hand on his knee to comfort him.

"Until they could see my bones through some of the wounds." He whispered. "Then they began to beat me." He cried. "All of them, until I passed out."

Bulma rubbed his leg and moved from the chair to the bed.

"You're not with them anymore." She said softly. "Nothing like that will ever happen to you again. I'll make sure of that."

He nodded a bit and cleaned his tears.

Bulma hugged him.

The boy cried harder… but he cried because a memory entered his mind. A memory worse than the one in his dream.

_He struggled against the cuffs as the creature got closer. It smiled insanely and its tail waved behind it in excitement._

_It bent down so that its lips were touching the boy's ear, and it slowly licked the base of his neck. The boy shuddered in fear and disgust._

_"So? Will you do that for me?"_

_The boy gulped some air as he stopped feeling the creature's tongue and began to feel his sharp teeth._

_"You'll stop feeling pain." It said. "It will all be over. You'll be free."_

_The boy hesitated and felt the creature grabbing his mangled hand. They had cut his fingers off that morning. He flinched and began to hyperventilate. _

_"Hmmm?" _

_"Y-yes." He said softly. _

_"Superb." The creature answered, straightening. "Bring him food and water. He deserves it."_

He clenched Bulma's shirt as she hugged him. What had he done to deserve this?


End file.
